Picture of the day: where the Andes meets the Amazon rainforest

Where the Andes meets the Amazon. Photo taken August 2011 by Rhett Butler

The zone where the Amazon rainforest meets the Andes mountains is the most biodiverse place on Earth. Large amounts of rainfall and altitudinal gradients create a variety of microclimates and niches that are exploited by a wide range of species. The Western Amazon—especially its submontane and montane forests—are also poorly known due to their inaccessibility. Only a few research sites have been studied extensively.

The following shots were taken in the Peru from an airplane at an elevation ranging from roughly 1800-2500 meters off the ground.

This part of the Amazon is rarely explored on the ground.

Glaciers, mountains, submontane forest, and montane forest in the transition zone between the Andes and Amazon.

Glaciers, mountains, submontane forest, and montane forest in the transition zone between the Andes and Amazon.

Glaciers, mountains, submontane forest, and montane forest in the transition zone between the Andes and Amazon.